HONOLULU (AP)—No news is good news. That might have been the bumper sticker for Ash Carter’s first tour of Asia as secretary of defense. It was mostly quiet on the Eastern front. Carter consulted with Japanese and South Korean leaders, gave pep talks to American troops, stressed the U.S. military’s stabilizing influence in the region […]

By Lolita C. Baldor The Associated Press SINGAPORE (AP) — Forty-five years ago, as the Vietnam war raged on, Army Spc. Chuck Hagel and Nguyen Tan Dung were on opposite sides of combat serving in the Mekong Delta — both wounded more than once as they battled for their countries.

By Josh Lederman The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Deflecting criticism about a perceived lack of diversity in his second-term Cabinet, President Barack Obama on Monday, Jan. 14 urged Americans not to rush to judgment about who he will appoint to replace departing members of his team.

By Ken Thomas and Sam Hananel The Associated Press WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — The composition of President Barack Obama’s second term Cabinet became clearer Wednesday, Jam. 9 with Labor Secretary Hilda Solis resigning and three other members of the president’s team deciding to stay on amid concerns about diversity in Obama’s inner circle.